LONGLEAT Safari Park will be welcoming six southern koalas from Cleland Wildlife Park in Australia later this year as part of their new international breeding programme.

The koalas will soon be settling in to their new home at Koala Creek, a purpose built enclosure at Longleat which includes a natural stream, climbing poles, naturally-themed indoor and outdoor habitats, and their favourite source of food, the eucalyptus tree.

Longleat will act as a European hub for the newly created International Koala Centre of Excellence, based at Cleland, Australia, and will be the only place to see koalas in England.

Viscount Weymouth Ceawlin Thynn, who is International Patron for the organisation, said: “Australian native species are a source of great fascination around the world, and we are privileged to be able to share them and their important conservation message with our visitors."

“We already growing a plantation of 4,000 eucalyptus trees to ensure the koalas have their favourite food on hand, and one of our keepers has been working at Cleland to get to know our new arrivals."

Koalas are officially considered to be vulnerable in the wild according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.

A vulnerable species is one which is likely to become endangered unless the circumstances that are threatening its survival and reproduction improve.

In 2012 the koala was listed as 'vulnerable to extinction' under Australian Law.